CHINATO DI BAROLO

Barale Fratelli

IN STOCK
Origin Italy, Piedmont
ABV 17%

Barolo Chinato is an aromatised wine - akin to Vermouth - an ideal after dinner drink - that works incredibly well with dark chocolate and some cheeses. Also it makes a brilliantly complex Negroni - or a wonderful aperitivo, simply served on ice. The Barale family put a lot of care and time into getting their Chinato so wonderfully drinkable. It is made with their Barolo 'Castellero' aged for at least 10 years. Then, following an ancient family recipe - the wine is aromatized with a natural infusion of China Calissaja bark, Rhubarb root, Gentian and other aromatic herbs. Fortified with alcohol so it peaks at a perfectly balanced 17 %. It then rests for at least a year in 700 litre oak barrels before bottling. A perfect present for the curious and a rare and wonderful bottle for wine-lovers everywhere. L&S (Nov 2022)

*Case price discount: Mix any 12 bottles of wine (or 9 litre equivalent) or 6 bottles of Champagne, Spirits, Sweet Wine or Fortified (4.5 litres) to get the discounted 'case price' for each bottle.

Barale Fratelli

The Barale family's wine-making history can be traced right back to 1870 when the village of Barolo first started making a name for itself as a hub for fine quality Nebbiolo in the Langhe region. This charming small town now gives its name to the whole region and remains one of the most important of the 11 Barolo 'villages'.

The historic Barale family winery is right in the centre. From the outside it would appear to be just another townhouse - but through the gates you find a gorgeous courtyard and a labyrinth of cellars that lead on to the winery itself. On our last visit we found the family mid-harvest and this ancient workspace was in full swing and working ideally - so why would you move? It was a joy to watch the seamless transition of the grapes from the small picking-baskets on the back of the tractor into the fermentation tanks.
They have moved with the times in the cellar - but only to help them preserve the charm and freshness of their great terroirs. Luigi resisted the fashions of the 1990s here, shunning the heavier extraction and hunt for more power - and never jumping to using lots of new oak. His unstinting allegiance to traditional winemaking serves the family well now. These are elegant, poised and sometimes hauntingly good wines. Tradition is at the heart of how they operate here - but they are not luddites! Embracing modern practices when they can help achieve their goals, rather than change the results.

Francesco Barale, great-grandfather of the current owner, was among the pioneers in the production of Barolo. Today Luigi and his daughters Eleonora and Gloria carry on the old family tradition.

This wine isn't currently part of a mixed case, but you can always browse our full selection of mixed cases here.
  • For full delivery details see our Delivery page.
  • We offer free nationwide* delivery for all orders over £150 with our own vans. We also offer an express delivery service for an additional charge.
  • Order & Collect from any of our 5 London shops. Order by Midnight for collection the next working day from 11am.
  • Private wine storage: we offer a full In Bond and Duty Paid private wine storage service - find out more here.

ORDER     COLLECT

ORDER ONLINE AND COLLECT FROM ONE OF OUR SHOPS